Sociable Earth The Hilton Dubai The Walk is in the very central part of Jumeirah Beach Residence, with the hotel connected to Hilton Dubai Jumeirah by a footbridge, allowing the two to share a range of facilities and services.
Before we get to the hotel, let’s get the location out the way. It is stunning. There’s no other way to put it. The Walk is a mile long, two-storey strip with hundreds of retailers, boutiques, restaurants, department stores, cinemas, cafes and gyms.
The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence is located in the heart of Dubai Marina and accommodates a staggering 15,000 people within its hotel rooms, studios, penthouses and apartments overlooking the Gulf. This is obviously a premium location to stay in, but an experience in itself.
The Hilton Dubai has options for studios, duplex lofts and spacious two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments. It’s within walking distance of Dubai Marina cafes, boutiques and entertainment venues, and within easy reach of downtown Dubai.
The hotel room we stayed in was a King Studio which was spacious, well-decorated and had a king-sized bed. There were two sofas and a large TV and the bathroom had a bathtub as opposed to a walk-in shower, which was a downside due to personal preference.
The view from the 17th floor was magnificent and considering one of the main reasons to stay here is the view, the room did not disappoint. Day or night, we could spend hours just looking out at the beach in the marina and hear the water sounds soothing our senses. The fresh air had a special something which you only get with the beach and this Hilton hotel really brought the beach home.
If you don’t want to make the trip to town, lazy beach days are an easy alternative, especially with children. It also helped being surrounded by fast food such as KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, iHop, Subway, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, Baskin Robbins and Movenpick. Yes, you name it, they’ve got it! Kids will be attracted to this area like schoolchildren are distracted by fast food on their way home so we’ve dubbed the area ‘adolescent heaven’. The food is all Halal so you’ll be spoilt for choice too. If you want to venture a little bit out, then a 5 minute taxi ride will take you to the Marina Mall, where you’ll find more restaurants and even supermarkets such as Waitrose as well as activities for children at their play centre. The Mall of Emirates is also only 15 minutes away by car with plenty of taxis available on the Walk.
The hotel is also literally next door to Tim Hortons, Chow King and Chiljies, so if you do indulge in a few big meals, your bed is never far away!
The beach is directly opposite the Hilton, meaning you can wake up and be on the beach within 5 minutes to welcome the day watching the Gulf. Contrasting the large rooms and view outside, the breakfast area is quite the opposite. The rooftop Pure Sky Lounge is small and with the kids, was quite challenging to get a table. After a few initial rushed experiences and with the breakfast area being so busy, we thought it would be better to have breakfast outside the hotel especially given Tim Horton’s is next door. This is much quicker as the breakfast place gets incredibly busy which means waiting for tables and then when finished, waiting to get a lift for about 10 minutes.
Staff at the hotel were very friendly, well trained and housekeeping was fine too. The check in and check out procedure was smooth and having ordered an airport transfer, I would recommend this based on the advice dished out by driver alone. He was extremely friendly and advised on how to exchange money, where to eat and more, providing a real value to the service beyond a car journey. Check in time is 3pm and check out time is 12 noon.
On site all-day restaurants at the Hilton offer good value for families with children. Kids under 6 eat free and those aged 6-12 years get a 50% discount at these restaurants. As well as a children’s menu, there’s a beach playground, babysitting service and even a Kids Club for children aged between 4 and 12 with supervised activities at Kidz Paradise on the 3rd floor. Here kids can enjoy painting, sports, games, movies and more between 9:30am and 6:30pm. There’s even something for teenagers with a games room on the 6th floor for those 13 and over, where they can play computer and video games between 09:00am and 10:00pm, although this service is unsupervised.
Hilton Dubai The Walk is that rare occurrence of a hotel that is not enhanced by surroundings but complements them, and given the location this is a big compliment. The breakfast area could be larger and better managed but with outside options, this is a small complaint. Well located, friendly staff and a connection to all you’d want to do while in Dubai, this hotel deserves the praise it gets. The family-friendly options get two thumbs up from all of us, particularly with the activities for kids whatever the age. Pricey but then no hotel on the Walk is cheap, so if you’re after the best, you’ve come to the right Hilton.
****
SE Staff Reviewer.
